Voices from the Past: A Disabled Fly Tier

I ran across this article from The Ironwood Daily Globe dated 16 April 1948 and found it both inspirational and interesting. Of course, women have been involved in fly tying since the days of Dame Juliana, but this one had a neat twist--disabled since 14, Faith Fitzpatrick went on to become an established tackle maker out of her wheelchair. Here it the short text that accompanied the article:

ONE GIRL FACTORY

Faith Fitzpatrick's "one girl trout fly tying factory" in Millersburg, Mich., is busy these April days turning out Royal Coachman, Gray Fox, RB Blue Fox, Squirrel Tails and other trout flies—both wet and dry. Faith, 33, operates her fly tying factory from a wheelchair. She had suffered a crushed spine beneath a switch engine in a gravel pit accident when she was 14 and her legs have been paralyzed ever since.



-- Dr. Todd